I thought up the idea for this cartoon after reading an article in the San Jose Mercury News by Sean Webby about the spike in sick calls in the San Jose police department this year. This year the police department has gone through a season of layoffs, pay cuts and a possible reduction in their pensions, and this has to the lowest staff levels in two decades. Homicide in San Jose is at its highest level in 14 years as a result.
In the last month or so, because of clashes between police and protesters at Occupy Oakland and at various college campuses, the police are often depicted in many circles as being adversaries of the Occupy Wall Street movement. When I first began to attend some of the Occupy San Jose events, though, many of the participants mentioned to me that many of the San Jose police whom they talked to expressed sympathy for the Occupy Wall Street cause. I have a feeling this is true of many of the police across the nation. Even though they were responsible for breaking up a lot of the Occupy encampments, I have a feeling that many were were just doing their jobs and held private opinions that were sympathetic. The police are struggling just like the rest of us.
Here are some youtube videos of police unions across the nation trying to negotiate through budget cuts and layoffs.
POLICE UNIONS SHOWING SUPPORT FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS IN WISCONSIN
POLICE UNIONS IN PORTAGE COUNTY, OHIO
POLICE UNIONS IN ALBURQUERQUE
OCCUPY BALTIMORE WINS SUPPORT OF POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER UNIONS
If you enjoy this cartoon, take a look at these links for more of my political cartoons at Everyday Citizen. You could also join my Jasper the Cat facebook page.
The Parents Visit the Occupation
Cartoons About Occupy Wall Street
Jasper and the Moderate Republican
Obama and the Republicans
Jasper And the Homeless Veteran
Jasper Celebrates the 4th of July
Jasper Meets Howard Zinn
Jasper and the Nature Poem
The Reunion
Government and the Market Economy
Jasper Joins Two Protests
Bob the Nerd Vampire
Jasper Debates War
Jasper Finds His Way Home
Jasper Escapes the Detention Center
Jasper At A Detention Center
Jasper Meets a Poet
Jasper’s Day
Jasper Tackles Health Care
Jasper Protests the War
Jasper and the Economy
Jasper Sings a Protest Song
The Road To Health Care Reform Cartoon
A Cartoon about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
A Cartoon about My Experience in an Evangelical Church
A Cartoon about Political Debate
A Cartoon On Gay Marriage
